Effects of Exercise Regime on Athlete Well-being

The 4-week length of the study was based on the time needed to evaluate non-specific symptoms such as fatigue [9 (link)]. The training program (futsal/soccer practice) and exercise regimen for participating male athletes were continued for 4 consecutive weeks (site-1). While the female athletes (site-2) were instructed to execute their habitual exercise at least once a week for about 60 min duration with sweating. Featured exercises performed during the 4 weeks study period were mainly hot yoga, dance exercise, martial art exercise, resistance movements, underwater exercise/swimming, and running/walking. Participants of both groups were asked to record their exercise to ensure that all participants remained in identical physical energy balance during the fitness training during the four weeks study period.
A schematic protocol illustration is presented in Fig. 1. Participating male and female athletes were registered for the study at two separate sites after confirmation of their eligibility according to set inclusion/exclusion criteria. All participants were asked to visit their respective testing laboratories at trial sites three times during the four-week study period. During the participant's initial visit (baseline) to the laboratory, a self-completed Profile of Mood State (POMS) questionnaire, and an exercise and well-being related Fatigue-Sweat questionnaire were administrated to male athletes to assess the effect of dietary iron supplementation on quality of life including fatigue and mood symptoms by assessing a range of associated domains. On the other hand, the state level of fatigue and related subscale subjective lifestyle quality parameters including sweating behavior among female athletes were measured with a visual analog scale (VAS) questionnaire. The two different questionnaires, VAS and POMS were used for female and male athletic subjects, respectively, because the data collection was based on the required intensities of sweating exercise and metabolism behavior differences among female and male athletes. However, the purpose and questions asked in both questionnaires were interrelated to retain the identical outcomes of the study. Each participant completed the study questionnaires at baseline, after two weeks (mid-point), and after four weeks of the study (end-point). Mood, stress, and sweat behavior were analyzed using the scores obtained from questionnaires.Fig. 1

Schematic illustration of experimental design of study protocol and procedures.

Fig. 1The anthropometric, body temperature and heart rate were measured for each participant during every laboratory visit. Noninvasive measurement of hemoglobin levels, which measures estimated hemoglobin levels in peripheral blood vessels was performed to scientifically monitor the participating athletes' conditioning on each visit to the laboratory during the study period. Furthermore, to determine the changes in stress markers during the study, saliva samples were collected at the beginning and end of the study, in order, to measure the salivary cortisol, salivary α-amylase, and salivary-immunoglobulin A concentrations.